By Kim Yoo-chulCombating corruption always matters because it has a disproportionate impact on the have-nots and most vulnerable, increasing costs and reducing access to education and justice.Corruption erodes trust in government and undermines economic development and even the social contract.South Korea, Asia's fourth-largest economy, has a weak track record in tackling various types of corruption, with the level in the country far higher than the majority of other developed nations around the world despite its great economic achievements over the last decades.But the country is improving in terms of the level of anti-corruption activities and relevant initiatives. The Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, also known as the Kim Young-ran Act, has been effective since its implementation two years ago, according to the head of the country's top anti-corruption agency.Pak Un-jong, chairperson of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC), believes successful anti-corruption efforts are initiated by a "coalition of concerned," which includes politicians, government officials, the private sector, communities and civil organizations. The concerted attention of governments and businesses is required to address corruption. "A recent survey showed the act's approval rating was 89.9 percent among the public, followed by 95.6 percent of public servants and 90.7 percent of teachers in schools nationwide. They said the anti-graft act was truly helping them disconnect gradually from the Korean tradition of gift-giving and guest hosting," the ACRC chief said in a recent interview.The ACRC interviewed 3,000 government officials, employees of service organizations including journalists and others who are forced to abide by the act, between Aug. 27 and Sept. 10."One of the noticeable points from the recent survey was that the satisfaction level with the act saw more than a double-digit percentage increase both among officials and employees working at public organizations and the public," the chairperson said.The anti-corruption act, named after former Justice Kim Young-ran, places limits on the value of meals and gifts, and congratulatory and condolence money for public officials, teachers and reporters. It took effect on Sept. 28, 2016.The rules exclude open conferences and events such as official press meetings. A violation of the act can lead to imprisonment of up to three years and fines as high as 30 million won or $25,000. Pak said there had been concerns and initial uncertainties with regard to the act's scope and smooth implementation, but it has changed the way of gift-giving and various types of "goodwill" treatment in all aspects of society and business on a "positive front."Mentioning a separate survey conducted by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), Korea's most powerful industry lobby group, which said an average amount of spending by 777 listed firms was cut by 21 million won on a quarterly basis, Park noted that the act is also helping private firms promote sustainable growth including through the continued work to stop "bribery."While the effects of the law have been "quite successful," she said society is still in a "transition period" to improve the level of transparency. "The Korean business community, which is connected to the Korean traditions of gift-giving and guest hosting, is welcoming the new act. We've acknowledged there will be some occasions in the future where officials affected by the act may come into conflict with it. We can figure them out through revisions in a timely manner," the agency chief said.The ACRC recently launched a 30-member committee with officials representing the public, civil servants, business and media industry as well as academia to move forward the initiative based on views gathered from different sectors."We want the committee to be effective and become accountable as it will set the key agenda and main issues in six different categories including education, public trust and the economy. Issues discussed will be proposed to the government. The ACRC wants to work together with representatives from different industries and people in provincial cities to improve society," the chairperson said.Going globalThe country's top anti-corruption agency plans to share its expertise in tackling corruption with the international community, as the ACRC plans to host the 19th International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC) in 2020."The conference will help the country share thoughts on how to address and handle large-scale corruption issues within a democracy. The upcoming event is also expected to explore issues such as the main role of governments, and criteria to bring changes," the ACRC chief said, adding the ACRC plans to hold five sessions and 50 workshops during the five-day conference.Korea is a developed OECD country and a young democracy with a relatively effective governance structure. It is often described as a very successful case of state-led economic development and praised for the successful transition from an authoritarian "developmental state" to a consolidated democracy, according to the agency chief.Pak said the anti-corruption agency is on track to "export" some of its best practices to Vietnam, Myanmar and Kosovo at the request of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). According to the agency chief, this move is a part of the ACRC's forwardness to lift its strategic opportunities to help increase the anti-corruption capacity of developing countries by combining the UNDP's policy expertise and its level of presence country-by-country."The ACRC successfully launched a program to evaluate policies to fight against corruption in Vietnam back in 2016. Feedback from the 63 regional governments that adopted it there was positive. Vietnam will expand the scope of the evaluation to the central government next year," the chairperson said. She also mentioned the agency held separate sessions to "train" public officials from Myanmar and Kosovo, which were considering revising their laws to introduce anti-corruption policies.